Against potent Bengals, Chiefs need their pass defense to hold up for four quarters

The Chiefs will play their second of back-to-back Sunday Night Football games, this one against the Cincinnati Bengals (4-2) at Arrowhead Stadium. The Chiefs (5-1) are coming off of a loss for the first time this season. This one will also mark the first night game between these teams.

Here are the keys to victory for the Chiefs.

1. Win the battle of the red zone.

The Chiefs have converted less than 50 percent of their red-zone possessions into touchdowns the past two weeks against the Jacksonville Jaguars and New England Patriots. Meanwhile, the Bengals lead the NFL in red-zone efficiency and have converted 75 percent of their chances into touchdowns. Each of the Bengals’ last four games has been decided by 10 points or fewer. Points left on the field could be the difference in a tight game.

2. Defend the pass for four quarters.

Last week, the Chiefs allowed 340 passing yards to the Pats, with 182 coming in the fourth quarter. Bengals quarterback Andy Dalton has been held in check in each of their two losses this season. He passed for just 229 yards in last week’s loss to Pittsburgh, and he tossed four interceptions in a loss to Carolina. He’s got dangerous options at wide receiver in Tyler Boyd (37 catches, 455 yards, 4 touchdowns) and A.J. Green (33 catches, 494 yards, 5 touchdowns).

3. Cut down on penalties.

The Chiefs have given away yards throughout the season with undisciplined play. Through six games, they ranked 31st in the league in penalties against them. They’ve given up 430 yards in penalties which potentially continue opponent’s drives and dig holes for their own offense. In several cases, the defensive penalties have set up scoring opportunities.

4. Solid play on both sides of return game.

The Bengals have one of the best kickoff-return units, in terms of yardage, in the NFL this season. They rank third in yards per return (30.2). With the Chiefs’ defense ranked last in yards allowed per game, field position and return yardage, they could be hard pressed to prevent a team like the Bengals — who convert in the red zone — from scoring points.

Scheme

Head coach

Marvin Lewis is in the middle of his 16th season at the helm after six seasons as defensive coordinator with the Baltimore Ravens, including their Super Bowl-winning team in 2000. He also spent a season as assistant head coach and defensive coordinator with Washington in 2002. His Baltimore defense set an NFL record during the Super Bowl run for fewest points allowed in a 16-game regular season. Lewis, who spent the first 11 years of his coaching career in the college ranks, came up through the pro ranks as a defensive coach. His early NFL posts included coaching linebackers for a Pittsburgh Steelers unit that included Kevin Greene, Levon Kirkland, Chad Brown and Greg Lloyd.

Offensive coordinator

Bill Lazor, the former Bengals quarterbacks coach, got promoted two games into last season. This year marks his first full year in charge of the offense with an offseason to install and implement his schemes. A former Ivy League quarterback at Cornell, Lazor has worked under former Atlanta Falcons coach Dan Reeves, former Washington coach Joe Gibbs, former Philadelpia Eagles coach Chip Kelly and former Seattle Seahawks coach Mike Holmgren. Lazor’s scheme mixes the West Coast offense and Air Coryell schemes into a hybrid system. Coryell’s system stresses stretching the defense with vertical routes and taking multiple chances downfield, while the West Coast offense forces the defense to defend the entire field horizontally.

Defensive coordinator

Teryl Austin took over as defensive coordinator this season after five seasons in the same position with the Detroit Lions. He spent 10 years as a defensive backs coach in the NFL between three different coaching stops (Seattle, Arizona and Baltimore). His Lions defense in 2014 rated third in the NFL in defensive DVOA. The Bengals feature a 4-3 base defense, though it will likely be in nickel the majority of the time against the Chiefs. Last season with the Lions, Austin’s defense used defensive back blitzes 10.6 percent of the time (11th-most in the NFL), according to Football Outsiders, and rushed five or more 25 percent of the time (15th-most in the NFL).

Lynn Worthy

Lynn Worthy covers the Kansas City Chiefs and NFL for The Star.